The need for optometrists will decrease?

[mupreopt]

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I was reading another website and a few people said that the need for optometrist will decrease. What are your opinions of this? Will we be out of a career? Should we go into opthalmology instead?

 

[Eyedoc1999]

There is a lot of debate about this. Some would argue that if there are a lot of graduates that many will be "forced" into commercial practices, hence the downfall of optometry. You'll forgive me if I cry you guys a river about being forced to go into a job making $100K as a starting salary. You can be a good OD anywhere if you choose to.

My opinion is that there will be plenty of jobs, but you will have to be more selective about where you choose to practice. Optometry is having to deal with the same market forces that most businesses have to deal with...supply and demand. Optometry is no longer a field that any bozo can go into and make a million dollars anywhere they like. You have to do your homework and find not only attractive places to live, but attractive places to PRACTICE. They are not always the same thing. I enjoyed Memphis, but I didn't want to practice in a city with 200 ODs and an OD school seeing 50,000 patients per year.

With regard to ophthalmology, it's a good profession as well but the practice dynamics are different. You are in a different type of practice revolving around surgery and advanced secondary care. To be honest, I probably make as much as a middle of the road ophthalmologist and have a better job...not as exciting, not as highly regarded, but at the end of the day I go home. No real afterhours call, no 6AM surgery, when I want to go on vacation it's not a big deal, no ER rotations. It's a better life in my opinion, but I'm not ruled by my ego and I enjoy the type of patient interaction I'm able to have.

 

[EyeGotIt]

It would help to know what website you were looking at, but I don't think it will decrease. Take a look at the following website under "Job Outlook":

http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos073.htm

 

[JAZZEYE]

I was reading another website and a few people said that the need for optometrist will decrease. What are your opinions of this? Will we be out of a career? Should we go into opthalmology instead?

People can give reasons why they think the need for OD's will decrease or increase .....both usually based on pretty loose logic.
What were some of the specific reasons given by those on the website your talking about ?

 

[Tippytoe]

I don't know what website the posters is referring to. But in my view as a private practice OD of 10 years, the need for optometric services is not likely to decrease. BUT, here's the rub:

- Automation and delegating is necessary to make a good living (due to reducing reimbusements).
- By doing this, OD are able (must) to see more patients per day (at least twice as much).
- Combine current ODs doubling their patient load with 4 more ODs school printing out new docs and you have a formula for massive oversupply. I guarantee it. We already have too many ODs forcing many to work rediculous hours for low pay answering to an idiot boss. It IS only going to get worse. Sorry students, you probably missed out on the heyday of Optometry by about 15 years.

The reasons I won't encourage my kids to go into optometry:

-Excessive and outrageous school debt.

-Unregulated online contact lens sales (you know you can buy CLs from flea markets and beauty shops with no problems and the authorities don't care).

-Commercial eyeglass sellers on every corner that will undercut you with false and misleading BOGO sales and habitual 50% sales "for a limited time only" that happens to last 365 days/year.

-3 ODs on every corner.

-No more $600 contact lens fit of the 1980's. You will only get 10% of this now.

- And perhaps the biggest problem--the inablity get on insurance plans. As an OD, you will be deemed "not a doctor" on some or many, depending on your location, insurance plans. So even if patients want to come to you, they can't. They will have to leave your empty office to go sit an an ophthalmologists crowded waiting room for 3 hours to spend 4 minutes with the "real" doctor for a routine eye exam.

Just the facts. Please don't kill the messenger. I'm doing well. I just don't think the next generation will be as fortunate.

 

[eyestrain]

BUT, here's the rub:

- Automation and delegating is necessary to make a good living (due to reducing reimbusements).
- By doing this, OD are able (must) to see more patients per day (at least twice as much).
- Combine current ODs doubling their patient load with 4 more ODs school printing out new docs and you have a formula for massive oversupply. I guarantee it. We already have too many ODs forcing many to work rediculous hours for low pay answering to an idiot boss. It IS only going to get worse. Sorry students, you probably missed out on the heyday of Optometry by about 15 years.

Ding, ding, ding! And the idea that the aging baby boomer population is going to be an optometric goldmine is B.S.

 

[Jay12]

Hi guys, this thread is very informative.

I know that I have read on this site that there is a saturation of optometrists in the states, but do you believe that it is also a problem in Canada? or will become a problem in Canada?

Thanks.

 

[IndianaOD]

Hi guys, this thread is very informative.

I know that I have read on this site that there is a saturation of optometrists in the states, but do you believe that it is also a problem in Canada? or will become a problem in Canada?

Thanks.

Canada is safe unless more OD schools open up.

 

[stonegoat]

Canada is definately not in the same boat as the US. Lots of private practice opportunities. Maybe 10-20 years things here will not be as sweet, but for now, these are the "good old days" in Canada....definately more jobs than ODs....🙂

 

[quad32]

well then im moving to canada.
how much do private practice optometrists make there? (an estimate obviously)

 

[stonegoat]

Associates in private practice in BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba, and Newfoundland can expect to make $120K/year their first year out. As for the other provinces, I don't really know, but probably similar. I know that many US ODs think I'm always talking about the better case senerios, but honestly, I know a lot of ODs and they are all recent grads (relatively) like myself. Our experiences and incomes have all been similar.

 

[Andrea87]

I agree. The great thing is that the Canadian dollar is also tied with, if not higher at times then the American dollar (as of late), so although 4 years ago earning that much would not add up to what American doctors make, it not only surpasses what American ODs make, but the tuition in Canada could leave you with more then $50,000 less debt then in the states! Sounds like a good deal to me! 🙂